Crazy stuff – and a very fitting compilation of tracks designed to accompany the excellent Songs In The Key of Z book by Irwin Chusid. Chusid's book looks at the history of "outsider music" in the US – the odd fringes of the underground, where conventional expectations about music are thrown away in the mad vision of adventurous artists with a mission to create and express as never before. There's a few familiar names on here, but there's a lot more wild stuff that we've never ever heard before – and although the styles are a real mixup, the tracks are all united by their uniqueness and by Chusid's thoughtful production of the package. Titles include "Walking On The Moon" by Lucia Pamela, "Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere" by Peter Grudzien, "Virgin Child Of The Universe" by Song-Poem, "In Canada" by BJ Snowden, "Cousin Mosquito #1" by Congresswoman Malinda Jackson Parker, "At The Grass Roots" by Sri Darwin Gross, and "They Told Me I Was A Fool" by Jandek. 20 tracks in all. CD

A Krautrock classic from start to finish – and very much the sort of music from the early 70s German scene that had a huge impact on music well into the 21st Century! The songs here are maybe a bit shorter than on some of the contemporary albums from the scene, but no less experimental overall – mixing conventional instrumentation with wild production and effects – so that sounds from players like Harald Grosskopf on drums, Manuel Gottsching on guitars, and Klaus Schulze on keyboards all end up sounding much wilder than you might expect! Dieter Dierks serves a key role as the "magier em mischpult" – helping weave the amazing sounds throughout in his legendary studio – on titles that include "Elektronenzirkus", "Intergalactic Radio Guri Broadcasting", "Der Planet Des Sternemadchens", "Planet of Communication", "Der Narr Im All", and "Intergalactic Nightclub". CD

A beautiful set from the British scene at the start of the 70s – a record that's got a fairly folksy tone, but lots of jazzy currents as well! The set was issued on the seminal Dawn Records label – and really shows that imprint's commitment to the left side of the spectrum – as Mike Cooper's vocals and acoustic guitar come into play with more guitar from Stefan Grossman – plus alto sax from Mike Osborne, tenor and soprano from Alan Skidmore, piano from John Taylor, and bass from the late Harry Miller – all key players on the UK avant jazz scene of the time! The mix of these players with Cooper's core inspiration is not unlike some of the most progressive material coming from Island Records – or, even better, the special jazzy moments on records by Tim Buckley or Tim Hardin – company that Cooper could very easily keep, given the strength of his songwriting. Titles include "Don't Talk Too Fast", "On My Way", "Hope You See", "Weeping Rose", "Trout Steel", "I've Got Mine", "That's How", and "Pharoah's March". CD

A legendary album from the Krautrock scene of the 70s – one that was put together by Walter Wegmuller – more of an artist than a key musician on the scene, yet one who was wise enough to open the door to a huge amount of collaborative talents from the generation! The album's really more of an all-star Krautrock effort overall – as it features contributions from Klaus Schulze, Manuel Gottsching, Harald Grosskopf, Dieter Dierks, and others from important German acts of the period – and the music is very much in a cosmic jamming mode, with some occasional vocals or spoken bits – stretched out over the double length space of the set! Tracks are all named after individual tarot cards – and include "Der Wagen", "Die Kraft, "Der Tod", "Der Magier", "Die Sterne", "Der Mond", "Die Sonne", and "Die Welt". CD

A Krautrock classic from start to finish – and very much the sort of music from the early 70s German scene that had a huge impact on music well into the 21st Century! The songs here are maybe a bit shorter than on some of the contemporary albums from the scene, but no less experimental overall – mixing conventional instrumentation with wild production and effects – so that sounds from players like Harald Grosskopf on drums, Manuel Gottsching on guitars, and Klaus Schulze on keyboards all end up sounding much wilder than you might expect! Dieter Dierks serves a key role as the "magier em mischpult" – helping weave the amazing sounds throughout in his legendary studio – on titles that include "Elektronenzirkus", "Intergalactic Radio Guri Broadcasting", "Der Planet Des Sternemadchens", "Planet of Communication", "Der Narr Im All", and "Intergalactic Nightclub". CD